TIP: Be cautious about engaging in a platonic relationship with a former lover.

Step 5: Be equal Treat each other as equals in your platonic relationship. Neither person should play a submissive role in the friendship, and both should avoid leading on their friend.

Step 6: Ignore skepticism Ignore public skepticism. Most people think that members of the opposite sex can't be friends without it leading to something more. Ignore naysayers and enjoy your relationship.

Step 7: Know the benefits Know the benefits of having a friend of the opposite sex. You get someone to confide in and someone you can have fun with without dealing with emotional baggage. Both people gain insight into how the opposite sex thinks and feels.

FACT: The Greek philosopher Plato expressed a belief that the the most admirable lovers move from love of the physical to love of the intellectual.